UEFA Champions League 2025-26 begins on Tuesday, September 16, launching the league phase of Europe’s biggest club competition.
This season marks the 70th edition of the tournament, with Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) defending their crown.
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Here’s everything you need to know from how the new format works to the full fixture list and key dates.
What is the league phase of the UEFA Champions League 2025-26?
The league phase replaces the traditional group stage. Instead of eight groups of four, 36 teams now compete in a single league table.
- Each club plays eight matches against opponents from other countries.
- After Matchday 8, the top 24 teams progress:
- The top 8 advance directly to the Round of 16.
- Clubs ranked 9th–24th enter a two-legged playoff.
- The bottom 12 are eliminated.
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When are the UEFA Champions League 2025-26 league-phase matches?
The league-phase games will be staged across eight matchdays:
- Matchday 1: Sept 16–18, 2025
- Matchday 2: Sept 30–Oct 1, 2025
- Matchday 3: Oct 21–22, 2025
- Matchday 4: Nov 4–5, 2025
- Matchday 5: Nov 25–26, 2025
- Matchday 6: Dec 9–10, 2025
- Matchday 7: Jan 20–21, 2026
- Matchday 8: Jan 28, 2026
(All matches kick off at 19:00 GMT unless otherwise stated.)
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When are the Champions League 2025-26 knockout stages?
The knockout rounds follow the conclusion of the league phase:
- Playoff draw: Jan 30, 2026
- Knockout play-offs: Feb 17–18 & 24–25, 2026
- Round of 16: Mar 10–11 & 17–18, 2026
- Quarterfinals: Apr 7–8 & 14–15, 2026
- Semifinals: Apr 28–29 & May 5–6, 2026
- Final: Saturday, May 30, 2026 – Puskás Arena, Budapest
Where is the UEFA Champions League 2025-26 final being held?
The final will take place at the Puskás Arena in Budapest in May 2026.
What is the prize money for the UEFA Champions League 2025-26?
UEFA has allocated $2.6 billion for distribution across the league phase.
- Clubs earn rewards on a match-by-match basis.
- The ultimate winners, if unbeaten, can claim over €100 million ($116m) in total prize money.
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Full league phase match schedule
Matchday 1
Tuesday, September 16, 2025
- Athletic Club 0 – 2 Arsenal
- PSV Eindhoven 1 – 3 Union Saint-Gilloise
- Juventus 4 – 4 Borussia Dortmund
- Real Madrid 2 – 1 Marseille
- Benfica 2 – 3 Qarabag
- Tottenham 1 – 0 Villarreal
Wednesday, September 17, 2025
- Olympiacos 0 – 0 Pafos
- Slavia Praha 2 – 2 Bodo/Glimt
- Ajax 0 – 2 Inter
- Bayern Munich 3 – 1 Chelsea
- Liverpool 3 – 2 Atletico de Madrid
- PSG 4 – 0 Atalanta
Thursday, September 18, 2025
- Club Brugge 4 – 1 Monaco
- Copenhagen 2 – 2 Leverkusen
- Frankfurt 5 – 1 Galatasaray
- Manchester City 2 – 0 Napoli
- Newcastle United 1 – 2 Barcelona
- Sporting CP 4 – 1 Kairat Almaty
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Matchday 2
Tuesday, September 30, 2025
- Atalanta 2 – 1 Club Brugge (16:45 GMT)
- Kairat Almaty 0 – 5 Real Madrid (16:45 GMT)
- Atletico de Madrid 5 – 1 Frankfurt
- Chelsea 1 – 0 Benfica
- Inter 3 – 0 Slavia Prague
- Bodo/Glimt 2 – 2 Tottenham
- Galatasaray 1 – 0 Liverpool
- Marseille 4 – 0 Ajax
- Pafos 1 – 5 Bayern Munich
Wednesday, October 1, 2025
- Qarabag 2 – 0 F.C. København (16:45 GMT)
- Union Saint-Gilloise 0 – 4 Newcastle United (16:45 GMT)
- Arsenal 2 – 0 Olympiacos
- Monaco 2 – 2 Manchester City
- Leverkusen 1 – 1 PSV Eindhoven
- Borussia Dortmund 4 – 1 Athletic Club
- Barcelona 1 – 2 Paris Saint-Germain
- Napoli 2 – 1 Sporting CP
- Villarreal 2 – 2 Juventus
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Matchday 3
Tuesday, October 21, 2025
- Barcelona 6 – 1 Olympiacos
- Kairat Almaty 0 – 0 Pafos
- Arsenal 4 – 0 Atletico de Madrid
- Leverkusen 4 – 7 Paris Saint-Germain
- Copenhagen 2 – 4 Borussia Dortmund
- Newcastle United 3 – 0 Benfica
- PSV Eindhoven 6 – 0 Napoli
- Union Saint-Gilloise 0 – 4 Inter
- Villarreal 0 – 2 Manchester City
Wednesday, October 22, 2025
- Athletic Club 3 – 1 Qarabag
- Galatasaray 3 – 1 Bodo/Glimt
- Monaco 0 – 0 Tottenham
- Atalanta 0 – 0 Slavia Praha
- Chelsea 5 – 1 Ajax
- Frankfurt 1 – 5 Liverpool
- Bayern Munich 4 – 0 Club Brugge
- Real Madrid 1 – 0 Juventus
- Sporting CP 2 – 1 Marseille
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Matchday 4
Tuesday, November 4, 2025
- Slavia Praha 0 – 3 Arsenal
- Napoli 0 – 0 Frankfurt
- Atletico de Madrid 3 – 1 Union Saint-Gilloise
- Bodo/Glimt 0 – 1 Monaco
- Juventus 1 – 1 Sporting CP
- Liverpool 1 – 0 Real Madrid
- Olympiacos 1 – 1 PSV Eindhoven
- Paris Saint-Germain 1 – 2 Bayern Munich
- Tottenham 4 – 0 Copenhagen
Wednesday, November 5, 2025
- Pafos 1 – 0 Villarreal
- Qarabag 2 – 2 Chelsea
- Ajax 0 – 3 Galatasaray
- Club Brugge 3 – 3 Barcelona
- Inter 2 – 1 Kairat Almaty
- Manchester City 4 – 1 Borussia Dortmund
- Newcastle United 2 – 0 Athletic Club
- Marseille 0 – 1 Atalanta
- Benfica 0 – 1 Leverkusen
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Matchday 5
Tuesday, November 25, 2025
- Ajax 01 – 2 Benfica
- Galatasaray 0 – 1 Union Saint-Gilloise
- Borussia Dortmund 4 – 0 Villarreal
- Chelsea 3 – 0 Barcelona
- Bodo/Glimt 2 – 3 Juventus
- Manchester City 0 – 2 Leverkusen
- Marseille 2 – 1 Newcastle United
- Slavia Praha 0 – 0 Athletic Club
- Napoli 2 – 0 Qarabag
Wednesday, November 26, 2025
- Copenhagen 3 – 2 Kairat Almaty
- Pafos 2 – 2 Monaco
- Arsenal 3 – 1 Bayern Munich
- Atletico de Madrid 2 – 1 Inter
- Frankfurt 0 – 3 Atalanta
- Liverpool 1 – 4 PSV Eindhoven
- Olympiacos 3 – 4 Real Madrid
- Paris Saint-Germain 5 – 3 Tottenham
- Sporting CP 3 – 0 Club Brugge
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Matchday 6
Tuesday, December 9, 2025
- Kairat Almaty 0 – 1 Olympiacos
- Bayern Munich 3 – 1 Sporting CP
- Monaco 1 – 0 Galatasaray
- Atalanta 2 – 1 Chelsea
- Barcelona 2 – 1 Frankfurt
- Inter 0 – 1 Liverpool
- PSV Eindhoven 2 – 3 Atletico de Madrid
- Union Saint-Gilloise 2 – 3 Marseille
- Tottenham 3 – 0 Slavia Praha
Wednesday, December 10, 2025
- Qarabag 2 – 4 Ajax
- Villarreal 2 – 3 Copenhagen
- Athletic Club 0 – 0 Paris Saint-Germain
- Leverkusen 2 – 2 Newcastle United
- Borussia Dortmund 2 – 2 Bodo/Glimt
- Club Brugge 0 – 3 Arsenal
- Juventus 2 – 0 Pafos
- Real Madrid 1 – 2 Manchester City
- Benfica 2 – 0 Napoli
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Matchday 7
Tuesday, January 20, 2026
- Kairat Almaty 1 – 4 Club Brugge
- Bodo/Glimt 3 – 1 Manchester City
- Copenhagen 1 – 1 Napoli
- Inter 1 – 3 Arsenal
- Olympiacos 2 – 0 Leverkusen
- Real Madrid 6 – 1 Monaco
- Sporting CP 2 – 1 Paris Saint-Germain
- Tottenham 2 – 0 Borussia Dortmund
- Villarreal 1 – 2 Ajax
Wednesday, January 21, 2026
- Galatasaray vs Atletico de Madrid (16:45 GMT)
- Qarabag vs Frankfurt (16:45 GMT)
- Atalanta vs Athletic Club
- Chelsea vs Pafos
- Bayern Munich vs Union Saint-Gilloise
- Juventus vs Benfica
- Newcastle United vs PSV Eindhoven
- Marseille vs Liverpool
- Slavia Praha vs Barcelona
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Matchday 8
Wednesday, January 28, 2026
- Ajax vs Olympiacos
- Arsenal vs Kairat Almaty
- Monaco vs Juventus
- Athletic Club vs Sporting CP
- Atletico de Madrid vs Bodo/Glimt
- Leverkusen vs Villarreal
- Borussia Dortmund vs Inter
- Club Brugge vs Marseille
- Frankfurt vs Tottenham
- Barcelona vs Copenhagen
- Liverpool vs Qarabag
- Manchester City vs Galatasaray
- Pafos vs Slavia Praha
- Paris Saint-Germain vs Newcastle United
- PSV Eindhoven vs Bayern Munich
- Union Saint-Gilloise vs Atalanta
- Benfica vs Real Madrid
- Napoli vs Chelsea
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